1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf swing training device for enabling the player to train or practice the swing along a swing path guide loop set in a plane which is drawn by the clubhead when a correct swing is achieved.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The swing plane is the imaginary circle round which the clubhead travels during the swing. It is like an angled disk formed by the evolution of a line which is obtained by interconnecting the midpoint between shoulders of a player and the clubhead at address. For a purpose of assisting beginners to acquire a good golf swing achieved such as to draw an arc on the right swing plane, various golf swing training devices have been proposed such as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 60-111672 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 55-51279.
The golf swing training device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 60-111672, for enabling the player to acquire the knack of swinging the clubhead along the right swing plane, includes a backwardly tilted ring-shaped rear guide supported on a base by a plurality of support bars or posts in such a manner that the tilt angle and the height of the rear guide can be adjusted. The training device further has a generally C-shaped front guide disposed on the front side of the ring-shaped rear guide along a portion of the full circumference of the ring-shaped rear guide so as to define between the front and rear guides an arcuate clearance extending along the swing plane. When achieving a golf-swing training, the clubhead is guided on the swing plane, with the shaft of a golf-club received in the clearance between the front and rear guides. However, due to the limited length of the C-shaped front guide, the shaft is freed from guided engagement with the front and rear guides after the impact, namely during the follow-through. Thus, the disclosed training device is unable to ensure that the player trains to perform the full swing along the swing plane in a free or non-restricted manner.
The golf swing training device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 55-51279 includes a circular ring having a thickness at least engageable with soled clubs. To enable the player to draw a swing plane, the ring is pivotally mounted on a support base to draw the swing plane such that the angle and the height of the ring can be adjusted. However, the ring is not pivotally movable during the follow-swing. Accordingly, if the club deviates from the swing plane during the follow-through, the player has a feeling of physical disorder due to a resistance transmitted from the ring via the golf-club (hereinafter referred to, for brevity, as "club").
Another golf swing training device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 47-47743, which includes a tilted support member substantially aligned with the swing plane and provided with a guide means for guiding the clubhead during the backswing and the follow-through. Due to the provision of the guide means, the player cannot perform the full swing along the swing plane in a free or unrestricted condition, as in the case of the training device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 60-111672. In addition, since a fore-swing path member and a backswing path member that constitute the guide means are secured to the support member, they will produce a substantial frictional resistance when the club swing deviates from the swing plane. Thus, a smooth and resistance-free swing training cannot be achieved.
Still another golf swing training device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 49-67772. The disclosed training device includes a swing path loop molded of a synthetic resin and having a circular cross section. An inner loop formed from a metal pipe is attached by bolt-and-nut fasteners to the inner periphery of the swing path loop so as to support and reinforce the swing path loop at several portions circumferentially spaced at equal intervals. The swing path loop is immovable throughout the movement of the club, namely during the full swing which starts from the backswing and is ended to the follow-through. Accordingly, if the swing deviates from the swing plane, the player is unable to swing the club smoothly due to a considable resistance acting between the swing path loop and the club.